- Source
- Polybius. Vols. 1-4. Büttner-Wobst, Theodor, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:18.23.1-18.23.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Titus draws up his troops and delivers a brief, powerful speech recalling past victories over the Macedonians. After speaking, he advances with the left wing, and the Roman vanguard, reinforced by heavy infantry, counterattacks.
ὁ δὲ Τίτος παρεμβαλὼν τὴν αὑτοῦ στρατιὰν ἑξῆς ἅπασαν, ἅμα μὲν ἐφήδρευε τοῖς προκινδυνεύουσιν, ἅμα δὲ παρεκάλει τὰς τάξεις ἐπιπορευόμενος. ἡ δὲ παράκλησις ἦν αὐτοῦ βραχεῖα μέν, ἐμφαντικὴ δὲ καὶ γνώριμος τοῖς ἀκούουσιν. ἐναργῶς γὰρ ὑπὸ τὴν ὄψιν ἐνδεικνύμενος ἔλεγε τοῖς αὑτοῦ στρατιώταις "
Titus, on his part, having drawn up his entire army in order, was at once supporting those who were fighting in front, and at the same time encouraging the ranks as he went along them. His encouragement was brief indeed, but effective and well known to his hearers. For, bringing the facts vividly before their eyes, he said to his soldiers:
οὐχ οὗτοι Μακεδόνες εἰσίν, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὓς ὑμεῖς προκατέχοντας1 ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ τὰς εἰς τὴν Ἐορδαίαν ὑπερβολὰς ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς μετὰ Σολπικίου βιασάμενοι πρὸς τόπους ὑπερδεξίους ἐξεβάλετε, πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀποκτείναντες;
”Are not these the very Macedonians, men, whom you, under Sulpicius, openly forced from the high positions, although they had preoccupied the passes into Eordaea in Macedonia, killing many of them?
οὐχ οὗτοι Μακεδόνες εἰσίν, οὓς ὑμεῖς προκατέχοντας τὰς ἀπηλπισμένας ἐν Ἠπείρῳ δυσχωρίας ἐκβιασάμενοι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀρεταῖς φεύγειν ἠναγκάσατε ῥίψαντας τὰ ὅπλα, τέως2 εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἀνεκομίσθησαν;
Are not these the very Macedonians whom, when they had preoccupied the seemingly hopeless defiles in Epirus, you forced out by your own valour and compelled to flee, throwing away their arms until they found refuge in Macedonia?
πῶς οὖν ὑμᾶς εὐλαβεῖσθαι καθήκει, μέλλοντας ἐξ ἴσου ποιεῖσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον πρὸς τοὺς αὐτούς; τί δὲ προορᾶσθαι τῶν προγεγονότων,3 ἀλλʼ οὐ τἀναντία διʼ ἐκεῖνα καὶ νῦν θαρρεῖν;
Why then should you have any fear, when you are about to engage on equal terms with the same men? Why should you look forward to anything from the past except to have confidence now for the very opposite reason?
διόπερ, ὦ ἄνδρες, παρακαλέσαντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ὁρμᾶσθε πρὸς τὸν κίνδυνον ἐρρωμένως· θεῶν γὰρ βουλομένων ταχέως πέπεισμαι ταὐτὸ τέλος ἀποβήσεσθαι τῆς παρούσης μάχης τοῖς προγεγονόσι κινδύνοισ"
Therefore, men, encouraging one another, rush vigorously into the fight; for, if the gods are willing, I am confident that the issue of the present battle will soon be the same as that of your former struggles.”
. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν μέρος ἐκέλευε μένειν κατὰ χώραν καὶ τὰ θηρία πρὸ τούτων, τῷ δʼ εὐωνύμῳ μετὰ τῶν εὐζώνων ἐπῄει σοβαρῶς τοῖς πολεμίοις·
Having said this, he ordered the right wing to remain in its position with the beasts in front of them, while with the left wing and the light-armed troops he advanced boldly against the enemy;
οἱ δὲ προκινδυνεύοντες τῶν Ῥωμαίων, προσλαβόντες τὴν τῶν πεζῶν στρατοπέδων ἐφεδρείαν, ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἐνέκειντο τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις.
and the Roman vanguard, receiving the support of the heavy infantry, turned and pressed hard upon their opponents.
- 18.23.3προκατέχοντας
Present participle in the accusative plural, modifying the relative pronoun οὓς (referring to the Macedonians). It indicates the enemy's advantageous state of having "preoccupied" the strong positions in past battles.
- 18.23.4τέως
Functions here as an adverb meaning "at last" or "consequently," indicating the final outcome in which the defeated Macedonian forces in Epirus abandoned their arms and retreated all the way back to Macedonia.
- 18.23.5προορᾶσθαι τῶν προγεγονότων
The infinitive προορᾶσθαι depends on καθήκει from the previous sentence. The genitive τῶν προγεγονότων refers to "past events," forming a rhetorical question: "What is there to apprehend/dread from past events?"